Prince William County moves to end by-right data centers
Prince William County's Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to significantly reduce the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, ending most by-right data center development. The move comes amid public backlash against rapid data center expansion. Developers have a 90-day grace period to file applications, a point of contention among residents and supervisors.
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to dramatically shrink the county's Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, effectively ending most by-right data center development in one of Virginia's largest data center markets. The nearly 9,700-acre district, where data centers could be built without special use permits, will be reduced to about 3,641 acres.
The decision includes a 90-day grace period, during which property owners within the existing overlay can file certain data center-related applications to potentially retain by-right development. This grace period sparked debate during a public hearing, with residents like Gainesville District resident Rachel Ellis arguing it was